Yvonne Cherop, a student at Getarwet Girls Secondary School in Litein who succumbed on September 10 after being diagnosed with kidney failure./ Photo courtesy

A family in Momoniat village, Chepseon, Kericho County, is in distress after the body of their 15-year-old daughter was withheld at Siloam mortuary pending payment.

Yvonne Cherop, a student at Getarwet Girls Secondary School in Litein, succumbed on September 10 after being diagnosed with kidney failure, leaving her family with a medical bill of Sh1.2 million.

The Social Health Authority covered Sh140,000, while the family had earlier paid a Sh50,000 deposit. A fundraiser held on Sunday managed to raise Sh260,000, still leaving a deficit of nearly Sh1 million.

The deceased student began complaining of severe headaches on August 26 and was initially treated at a local clinic in Chepseon.

Her condition worsened, forcing the family to seek further treatment at Londiani Sub-County Hospital, where she was admitted for a week.

She was later referred to Medistar Hospital and subsequently transferred to Greenview Hospital’s ICU after being diagnosed with kidney failure, but died unfortunately while receiving treatment.

The grieving mother is appealing to well-wishers and local leaders to help her raise funds to settle a hospital bill that has denied her the chance to bury her child.